


I Am Alive

by JustBeMe13



Category: One Piece
Genre: Android!Sanji, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Baratie, Dark Past, Drama, Eventual Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Family No Matter What, Fear of Discovery, Germa 66, Level 5, Luffy Being Luffy, Memories, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates As Family, Multi, Nakama, Nami is a witch, Orbit - Freeform, POV Vinsmoke Sanji, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Roronoa Zoro Being an Asshole, Sanji Is Not A Vinsmoke, Secrets, Self-Discovery, Self-Hatred, Smart Monkey D. Luffy, Tension, Whole Cake Island Arc Spoilers, Worried Tony Tony Chopper, Worried Vinsmoke Sanji, robin is creepy, rock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustBeMe13/pseuds/JustBeMe13
Summary: Blue fluorescent water lights the tank from the inside and splays shadows on the floor and surrounding tanks. Golden hair flows lazily around in the substance that is barely water. Alabaster skin stains the body of the person inside and robotic blue eyes stare at the nothingness before them. The body breathes, or so it seems, but it doesn’t choke on the fluorescent blue.Sanji dies. Judge creates an android. The android runs away and joins a certain pirate crew.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 99
Collections: One Piece bests





	1. Being

Blue fluorescent water lights the tank from the inside and splays shadows on the floor and surrounding tanks. Golden hair flows lazily around in the substance that is barely water. Alabaster skin stains the body of the person inside and robotic blue eyes stare at the nothingness before them. The body breathes, or so it seems, but it doesn’t choke on the fluorescent blue.

Judge clicks his tongue and frowns in the direction of the tank, jotting down notes onto the research papers. He hands them back to the scientist and nods at the man. Then the other scurries off to do whatever it is he does. Judge turns to look at the tank fully, watching as robotic blues follow him, uncertain, new.

“When will he be ready?” Judge asks the nearest doctor.

The man looks at his charts and then up at Judge. “Shouldn’t take that long, my lord. He will be ready in perhaps a few more days. Though it is uncertain how he will react to being out of the tank. We shall keep monitoring his vitals and stress levels.”

Judge nods and walks towards the tank, peering upwards to look at his new experiment. He loathes to think that this one may even be better than his three precious children, but he could very well be better. If only that stupid son of his hadn’t gone and died like an idiot, he wouldn’t have to recreate him as an android with a level 5 intelligence. And he even had to recover the damned child’s memories and everything that comes with his shitty attitude. But now he will at least be strong.

The robotic blue eyes flow towards him, and Judge can see resentment in those eyes. At least the android knows it’s not a real person, which will greatly help Judge with controlling it, so he thinks.

“I want him ready within a week’s time. Make sure it happens,” he commands.

The doctors and scientists all nod and salute him as he walks away. Judge smirks to himself, this will turn out fantastically. He makes his way out of the lab and towards his living quarters. He spots his children, fighting each other and wrestling about in the dining hall. He barges in, announcing his presence without a word. The boys stop fighting and the girl sends him a smile, though he sees hidden sadness behind her eyes.

“Children,” he says.

They stand at attention, grim faces forwards. “Yes, father,” the four of them say.

“I have something important to tell you,” Judge says as he sits down on his throne.

The kids frown, but he doesn’t pay any attention to that.

“Seeing as your failure of a brother has gone and died, I will be replacing him with a 5 level intelligence android. He will be just as powerful as you, and no picking on him this time. He still has that failure’s awful personality, but he will fight just as well as all of you,” Judge informs them.

Reiju looks surprised, and something passes her eyes that Judge cannot dissect. His daughter doesn’t seem to approve, but he doesn’t care.

“But father!” Yonji begins. “That failure was as good as useless, why make a replica of him?” he asks.

“Are you doubting me?” Judge snarls.

Yonji’s face pales and he stutters, taking a step back. “Of course not, father. I wouldn’t dream of it,” he answers quickly.

Judge nods his head. His children understand, it seems.

“He will be here in a few days, until then you are all dismissed from training.”

The boys nod and scurry off, but Reiju stays put. Judge raises his brow at her, waiting for her to talk.

“What is it?” he asks.

Reiju snaps her furious eyes to his face, and Judge can feel sweat slide down his neck. That’s one hell of a stare.

“Why, father,” she asks simply.

Judge sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I need him.”

“Do you really?” she asks, eyes set on his and still furious.

He nods, once. Reiju casts her eyes down and he can practically see the gears in her head turn. He hears her mumble to herself, but for once he lets her. She is his prized pupil after all. He can let her off the hook sometimes.

Finally, she lifts her head and glares at him with tears in her eyes, much to his surprise. She speaks, and he hears hatred in her tone, and somehow he cannot fault her for it.

“You might not have loved him, but I did.”

With that, she storms off, leaving her father stupefied and wondering if he could have had more compassion.

**o-o-o**

Reiju’s eyes are still wet as she stands in front of the tank. The robotic blues watch her, but there is no emotion on that face. She lays her hand on the glass and wonders, if perhaps, this android would be like her brother. Wishing for freedom, to cook, to have a normal live?

She watches the android’s chest rise and fall, but there is no water going in or out of his mouth. He isn’t dying, he isn’t really breathing. It’s fake. Tears wet her cheeks once more and she looks away, only to be pulled back when a hand lays itself on the glass from the other side. She watches in astonishment as the android splays it hand onto the glass, eyes filled with sadness and pain, mouth opening only for bubbles to escape instead of words.

Reiju lays her hand on the tank as well and she looks into those robotic eyes of her now android little brother. Then, to her surprise, the androids face splits into a sad smile, and he looks around the room. She can see he is searching for something, but she does not know what it is. Then he looks back at her, mouths a word which she cannot see, and looks at her sadly.

“You want out of there, don’t you?” she whispers.

He nods, to her amusement. Then she remembers what her father told her. He has a 5 level intelligence, he’s a robot, an android, he has superior hearing to them. Of course he can hear her. Reiju smiles at him, a genuine smile.

“You know what?” Reiju says as she leans in towards the glass.

The android looks at her, neon blues staring at her face. She smiles again at him and presses her fore head to the tank.

“I’ll find a way to set you free,” Reiju whispers, and she knows he can hear her.

**o-o-o**

It was five days later that the tank was emptied. Judge watches as the doctor ticks a little hammer against the droids knee, to which it reacts by kicking out. He smirks, the droid looks almost human, except for his eyes. Big blues look up at him from the small body. He made sure to keep the android at the same age as his other kids. He looks like a normal human kid for the most part.

“Give him to me when you are done,” Judge says.

The droid looks at him with a neutral expression, Judge cannot tell anything from it. He feels proud, though, that he has created such an I.A. The doctor nods at him, pulling him from his thoughts and the boy slips of the table. Judge motions for him to follow, and the android does.

He takes it to the dining hall, clothed and all. His children are waiting for him there. Reiju’s gaze is hard as stone as he walks in with the droid.

“Children, meet your new and improved brother,” Judge says happily, pushing the android forwards a little.

The droid steps forward and flits his eyes between the kids, resting them on Reiju for only a moment longer.

“I don’t like him,” Ichiji snarls immediately.

Judge rolls his eyes. “I don’t care, you will get along.”

Ichiji pouts, but doesn’t protest any further. Judge smirks.

“Sanji, introduce yourself to your brothers,” Judge orders.

The android nods and takes another step forwards. “My name is Sanji, and I am a level 5 Artificial Intelligence. My name means Sophisticated Artificial Nuclear Juggernaut Intelligence.”

Having said this, Sanji takes a step back. Reiju’s eyes are hard, and the rest of the kids burst out laughing. But they don’t attempt to pick on the android, not anymore.

**o-o-o**

“Are you sure?” Sanji asks, blue robotic eye gears circling around the pupil gears.

Reiju grabs his shoulders and nods quickly. “You have to! You want to be free, don’t you?”

Sanji nods at her. “Yes, but what about you?” he asks. “I’m far more save here than you are.”

Reiju lets go of him. “Yes, that is true. But you deserve a real life, not like mine. You have the power to get out of here, so do it already!”

Sanji flinches at her harsh tone, but understand where she comes from. “I’ll never forget you, not that I can,” he jokes, pointing to his head and smiling.

Reiju sniffs, but nods happily with a smile. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.

“You’re the right person to continue Sanji’s dream,” Reiju whispers.

Sanji stills in her arms, “You think so?” he whispers back.

Reiju simply nods and lets go, turns her droid brother around and pushes him towards the Orbit. Sanji looks back at her once, before smiling and taking off with a running sprint. Reiju feels tears wet her cheeks, but this is what is best for him, and for Sanji.


	2. The Importance Of Sustenance

The cooks on the Orbit suspect nothing, but Sanji begins hiding one of his eyes just to be sure. He’s uncertain about his own name, he knows what it means, but it doesn’t really belong to him after all. It belongs to a dead kid. He keeps it anyway, it’s easier going around keeping the name than finding a new one. And all the cooks on the Orbit already call him Sanji, he’s fine with it.

He talks about the All Blue with the cooks, and they tell him it is a fake ocean. But somehow, even though he has a 5 level intelligence, Sanji does not believe them. He follows his programmed personality and keeps dreaming about the mythical ocean he wants to call home. No more Judge, no more fighting, no more orders, just freedom.

“Hey, don’t throw that away!” one of the cooks shouts as Sanji is about to throw away a healthy looking big ass piece of steak left on a plate.

Sanji stops, turns back and puts the plate on the table. “Why?” he asks.

The cooks look at him, confused for a moment. They had to admit, none of them had ever seen Sanji eat anything, but he always listened when it came to their food needs.

“That’s a waste, we don’t waste food here. If we get stranded, what will we do when we run out of food. We shouldn’t throw away something that can still be eaten,” another cook says.

Sanji cocks his head at them, closes his eyes and then nods. “I understand,” he answers simply. “I won’t do it again,” he adds.

The first cook nods, smiles and takes the plate. “Don’t you want some?” he asks Sanji then.

Sanji shakes his head. “No thanks, I’ll be going now,” he says, then leaves the room as abruptly as he had come.

The cooks watch him go, shrug and continue eating their meal.

**o-o-o**

Sanji has no idea what is happening to him. He’s angry, he knows that, but he also cannot control his body as he charges the pirate with the braided mustache, knife in hand and ready to cleave the man in half.

He knows fighting, Judge had him fight his brothers all the time, and he’s grown accustomed to how a sword handles. A knife is no different. And so he charges. Seconds later, he’s flying through wood and spits out blood, growling as he climbs out of the wreckage. The mustache man has a smug look on his face, but there is curiosity in his eyes.

Sanji’s eye gears shift and he closes his lids to keep people from seeing.

“Don’t try it, kid. You’ll just get yourself killed!” one of the cooks yells, but Sanji ignores him.

He’s angry, and it’s probably his programming, but he cannot stand the man that has taken their food and is leaving them in the middle of this storm.

The man looks at him, mustache twitching. He must see something that interests him, for he motions for Sanji to fight him. But just as Sanji is about to run at him again, knife poised high, a shrill shout alarms all of them. Sanji looks up and his eyes widen, a wall of water in front of his face.

The ship tilts, and Sanji feels cold water encase his body so suddenly, he shouts out in surprise. Air leaves his automated lungs, but he does not choke on the water. He watches the ship sink though, and he feels a calm settle over himself. Is this how he will spend the rest of his days? All eternity underwater, crushed by a pirate ship and a sailors vessel?

Arms suddenly surround him and Sanji’s eyes shoot open. He turns his head and sees the old pirate is saving him. Why? He just tried to kill the man, why would he save him now? Sanji hangs limply in his arms as the man saves him, his nuclear core trying to figure out why a human would save him. He doesn’t come up with an answer.

Later, he’s lying on a rock, soaked as a wet rat and spouting water from his fake lungs. The pirate sits next to him, watching the water fountain pour out of his mouth like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s not.

“You’re not human, are you?” the man asks.

Sanji shakes his head and sits up. “No, but the one I look like was.”

The man frowns. “Was? He died?”

Sanji nods. “Yes,” he adds.

“What’s your name?” the man asks.

“Sanji.”

“Zeff,” the man responds.

Sanji looks at him, keeps his eyes open as his gears shift around the pupil. Zeff smirks.

85 days later, Zeff is missing a leg, Sanji’s hasn’t eaten (not that he needs to) and the old pirate is dying of starvation. Sanji desperately tries to keep him alive with what little sea life he catches, being able to climb up and down the steep rock. It’s not enough.

Later that night, he sees a ship, and he fires a flare. Hours after that, Zeff is eating warm broth and Sanji has the first meal of his life, made by the pirate himself, and he cries, feeling more human than he ever had.


	3. The First Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji finds his first real family. 
> 
> It consists of one person. 
> 
> A grumpy old pirate with a wooden leg.

A month later finds Sanji on a floating restaurant, a proud Zeff on his heels as they enter the ship. The tick-tock of his wooden leg annoys Sanji, but he ignores it all. He looks around the kitchen, the dining halls, the rooms where people will sleep. The storage rooms are stocked to the brim.

“Is this our new home?” Sanji asks once Zeff situates himself in a chair in the dining room.

The old pirate nods. “Yeah, you like it, shitty brat?” he asks.

Sanji dumbly nods. “Will you learn me how to cook? Sanji wanted to learn,” he admits, voice soft.

Zeff’s smile is soft and kind. “Sure, kid, but you’ll have to work hard for it,” he murmurs, ruffling Sanji’s hair. “Also, you are Sanji now, so don’t speak about him around people, he’s not here. You are him and he is you, you’re one and the same.”

Sanji nods his head solemnly. He doesn’t want to be Sanji, but he has no choice.

The next day they hire some ex-cons as cooks. They’re rowdy and loud and pick on Sanji, but he snarls them back quickly enough. He doesn’t reveal he isn’t human though, he won’t anymore. Only Zeff will know and anyone else who knows will perish.

Zeff smacks dish duty on him. Sanji is not happy. The old pirate tells him he will need to learn a lot of things before learning actual cooking. Patty and Carne tease him, Sanji punches them, then gets kicked by Zeff for doing it wrong.

And so he also gets lessons in how to fight with his legs, not his hands. He learns to eat food, learns certain emotions he hadn’t had before, learns to properly wash dishes. A year later, he takes up smoking just to spite Zeff, now ten and feeling strange.

Zeff kicks him upside the head, but knows it won’t affect his cooking any. Sanji only really smokes when he’s fighting anyway. He watches Zeff cook, steals his journal and reads all of his recipes, memorizing them.

Zeff kicks him again for stealing the journal and says that the recipes can always be changed. Sanji understands and gets to cooking. He also makes his own dishes, experimenting with things he finds interesting and things he learns from people visiting the Baratie.

Patty and Carne keep fucking around with him, but he fights back verbally more than physically. He does know the cooks care for him, and that makes his nuclear core spark a little with an emotion he hasn’t quite placed yet.

“It’s happiness,” Zeff tells him one day.

“Happiness?” Sanji asks. “What’s that?” he wonders.

Zeff grins. “That’s what you’re feeling. Content, safe, glad you’re alive. That kinda stuff, the feeling of family and closeness. You feel relaxed, happy, free,” he says. “That’s happiness.”

Sanji stares in wonders, the cogs in his head turning and turning to comprehend. “Alright,” he finally says.

Zeff rolls his eyes and kicks him out of the kitchen.

He’s fifteen when a girl asks him to kiss her. He doesn’t really get why but he does so anyways and she blushes brightly afterwards. She then kisses him and Sanji really doesn’t get the point. It’s just a press of lips on lips, not something interesting.

Later that day Zeff explains love to him. Then all kinds of different emotions he doesn’t understand yet. He tries to learn them as best he can. He wants to be as human as possible, even though he’s not. Zeff also tells him to respect girls. Sanji memorizes that.

Another year later he perfects Zeff’s soup, and the old pirate just smiles a little as he eats it. The cooks don’t know Sanji has made it and praise Zeff for it, but Sanji doesn’t care. He’s happy anyway, has learned what that feels like.

He considers Zeff his family, and the cooks as very good friends. Judge is no longer in the picture and he doesn’t see that man as his father, only his creator. But he doesn’t feel anything for him, not even a sense of duty. Zeff is the one he cares for and the one he wants to help, forever. And he could, forever that is. He can’t die, won’t die. He could shut himself down, but what would be the point?

Two years after that moment, he’s been Zeff’s sous-chef for about a year and he’s happily waiting on the people in the dining room. Zeff quietly lounging in one of the chairs on the deck, soaking up the last rays of sun before the dinner shift goes into full swing.

Sanji brings him a bowl of soup, the older man taking it happily.

“You’re better than me,” he comments, slurping up the liquid.

Sanji grins halfheartedly from behind his cigarette. “Thanks, old man,” he says.

Zeff rolls his eyes, thrusts the empty bowl towards him and stands with a groan. Ordering Sanji to remove the chair, the head-chef goes back to the kitchen. Sanji’s smile is as bright as the sun that still lights the sky.

That night, a boy his age kisses him when they’re sitting on the upper deck. Sanji feels a little spark in his core and kisses back. He doesn’t know what it means, goes to ask Zeff later on, and gets and answer he likes a lot more than he thought he would.

He falls asleep with a smile etched on his face.


	4. An Idiot In A Straw Hat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji feels a tug, and he has no choice but to follow where it leads him.

Sanji is nineteen when a band of unruly idiots come into his restaurant. Sanji watches as the straw hat wearing boy flings himself off the ship due to a cannonball and is smacked right into Zeff’s room. He raises a brow in amusement and confusion.

Through the door then comes a redheaded girl, a long nosed liar and a…

Is that a man or a muscle?

Sanji is confused.

He serves the lady and praises her for the color of her hair, and she takes it like sweet cake. Sanji feels nothing. He serves the long nosed boy, smiles at him and then gets to the green-haired man that looks like he could crush Sanji’s wrists in one hand. He feels nervous around this man, and carefully serves him the tankard of ale he asked for.

Chore boy Luffy is next. The kid is breaking all the plates, ruining all the food and Sanji kicks him into the dining hall even though Zeff protests against it.

“Don’t eat all the damn food, you glutton! I’ll make you something if you want it so badly,” he snarls.

He kicks Luffy in a seat next to his friends and the green-haired man raises a brow at him.

“Don’t let him fucking move,” Sanji commands.

The green-haired man smirks and unsheathes a sword, holding it in front of Luffy’s face.

“Whatever you say, curly eyebrows,” he snarks.

Sanji halts on his way back to the kitchen. “What did you just call me?” he growls as he turns back to look at the man.

The redhead groans and slaps her palm to her forehead. The liar shivers and chuckles in fear, cringing back into his seat.

“Zoro we do not have the time for this,” the girl growls and smacks him upside the head.

Sanji rolls his eyes and stalks to his kitchen, whipping up a meal for the four of them. Judging by their looks and body weight, also body structure, he makes them all a personalized meal. When he returns, the man named Zoro is still holding the Luffy kid back and Sanji grins at him. The green haired man turns away from him, but Sanji can see how he rolls his eyes.

“THIS IS SO GOOD!” Luffy shouts as he stuffs his mouth.

Sanji watches them eat, amused. The Luffy kid is trying to get him to join the crew, but Sanji is not so ready yet. He can see Zeff, though, and the man looks like he’s about to loose something important. It tugs at Sanji’s non-existing heart and he feels like he should say something to the old man, but he can’t bring himself to do it.

Next thing he knows, another pirate joins the bullshit he’s already finding himself in. Patty tries to serve him, finds out that the guy doesn’t have any money and then kicks him out. Sanji can sense the hunger though, and he hates it. He cannot feel it himself, but knowing what Zeff went through to keep alive, he needs to do something.

He goes to the kitchen, feeds the guy named Gin, comes back and finds that the crew of misfits is looking at him curiously.

“Why’d you do that?” Luffy asks.

Sanji stops before them. “He needed it, and I won’t let anyone go hungry like the old man.”

Zoro looks at him weirdly and Luffy is practically glowing.

“Join my crew!” he exclaims, slamming both hands down on the table.

Sanji recoils, his core shaking a little at the demand. How could he just leave Zeff behind? He can’t do that, can he? He doesn’t even have a dream to pursue of his own. He can’t exactly say anything yet, so he decides to go with no.

Luffy doesn’t take no for an answer though, surprise surprise. 

“Join me!” he whines for the next four days.

Sanji keeps saying no, keeps mingling with his crew, but keeps saying no. The strange thing though, is that the Zoro guy seems interested in him. Not romantically, you horny fucks, simply interested.

“You are different,” Zoro remarks on the last day of their stay.

He and Zoro are sitting on the roof of the Baratie, watching Luffy and Usopp chase each other around. Nami is sitting on a chair in the dying sunrays, reading a book and munching on a snack Zeff had made her. Most guests had left for the day and the dinner rush had yet to start.

“What do you mean?” Sanji asks, frowning.

He feels strangely in his core, these people have dreams and hopes and are trying to pursue them no matter what. He admires them.

Zoro turns his head to him. “You’re not like the other cooks,” he says.

“That’s true,” he answers.

“You’re not really caring about your own health, more about others,” Zoro says.

“True,” Sanji says, almost whispers.

He doesn’t actually need to eat, he just wants the feeling of eating. He doesn’t need to drink, doesn’t actually bleed much and when he does, his skin heals over before most of his blood is gone. When broken, his core fixes him, or Zeff has turned a few loose screws and that had been it.

“Why?” Zoro asks.

Sanji looks at him, eye gears concealed when he blinks and Zoro tilts his head in confusion.

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me, as long as the people I care about are alive and healthy. As long as the old man can find his dream one day, I’m fine as I am.”

Zoro frowns, but doesn’t ask any further. Luffy calls to them, the green-haired man smiles, grins at Sanji and jumps off the roof.

Sanji feels something tug at him, turns to look at Zeff standing by the roof door and knows it’s his time to go. He has been here long enough. His debt has been repaid. He can be free. Right?


	5. A Life For A Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy battles and battles, and then Zoro does the batteling. 
> 
> All Sanji can do is be enamored by their determination and immesurable strength.

There is a large ship in front of the Baratie. Sanji watches it with slight fascination. He knows it’s no good though. Nami took off, he saw her go. He didn’t stop her though. He let her go, seeing her absolute terror and horror and fear and sadness.

Luffy is fighting an idiot. Sanji watches from his spot by the door with Zeff by his side. He has a cigarette in his mouth, but it’s still unlit.

“You gonna help?” Zeff asks, gesturing to the fire spreading over the deck.

“Should I?” Sanji asks.

“If you don’t want the ship to burn down, yes.”

Sanji sighs. “Alright,” he says.

He lights his cigarette and sprints at the armored guy banging his chest on the deck like a fucking monkey. He sees Sanji, and goes in for the kill. Sanji dodges his strike and snaps his leg out, catching the guy full force in the chest and sending him flying backwards. 

“You’re not afraid of fire?” the man asks as he clambers back off.

Sanji scoffs. “I can’t be afraid of anything, not even my own death.”

Behind him he hears Luffy say something, but he is already charging at the man again, when a gunshot stops him in his tracks. He whirls around to look at Zeff, who is now laying on the floor with a gun close to his head. Sanji glares at Gin, the man looks pained though.

“Step away from him,” Sanji snarls.

Gin shakes his head. “I can’t let you defeat us, Sanji. Don Krieg is the one who will be Pirate King,” he says.

Sanji blinks, eye gears shifting as he glares. “You can’t defeat me,” he says.

Gin grins, steps over Zeff and swings a cannonball towards the armored guy, sending him to the ground. Sanji smirks.

“You’re ready to take me on, but are you ready to die?” he asks.

“You’re the one going to die,” Gin says, charging at him with his weapons.

Sanji whips onto his hands and swings his legs towards Gin, catching him in the gut and sending him back. Still on his hands, Sanji calls to Luffy.

“Go defeat that bastard, he’s trying to fuck up my restaurant!” he shouts.

“YOSH!” Luffy replies and shoots off.

“OUR RESTAURANT!” Zeff shouts to Sanji.

“Don’t care!” Sanji shouts back.

Gin charges him again and Sanji has to fight, even though he doesn’t use all of his power. If he did, he’d kill the poor pirate.

He hasn’t felt this good in ages.

**o-o-o**

Zoro watches Sanji fight. There’s something special about the cook, but he doesn’t know what yet. Usopp is shivering beside him, watching the display of power the same as he is.

He’s just… different.

“Don’t you notice something about him?” Zoro asks Usopp.

“Like what?” the liar asks.

“I just get this feeling around him, I can’t explain it,” Zoro answers.

Usopp frowns. “I don’t get what you mean, there’s nothing wrong with Sanji, he’s just a monstrous fighter. Look at him go,” he says and points at the blond kicking away Gin again.

He’s had a cannon in his side, almost had his head crushed and his rubs are surely broken, but he’s still fighting.

“He’s a monster,” Usopp says.

“He’s a fighter,” Zoro replies with a grin **.**

**o-o-o**

Sanji stands over Gin’s broken body, watching him as he bleeds.

“You won,” Gin says.

“I did,” Sanji replies.

“Gin you coward!” Don Krieg shouts, angry.

Sanji turns his head to look at the man, sees Luffy watching him as well.

“He lost, that is not cowardly,” Sanji says.

Don Krieg growls angrily and brings his arm forwards. Sanji watches curiously as the man shoots something, shouting at Gin and Gin shouting at him. People dive off the deck, Luffy steals two masks. Gin tries to put his mask on Sanji put the blond puts it over the man’s head, throwing the one for him back at Luffy. He doesn’t need it anyway.

He can’t die from a bit of gas anyway. That’s idiotic and he still doesn’t have actual lungs. So when the gas clears up and he is totally fine, Gin cannot believe his eyes.

Sanji only smirks at him. “Don’t worry,” he says. “I’m not easy to kill.”

Gin believes him.

Sanji sits by him as he watches Luffy fight Don Krieg. The man is a monster, but Luffy is even worse and goes at him with a determination Sanji has not seen for a long, long time. Zeff comes to stand by them with a smirk on his face.

“He’s one of the dangerous types.”

Sanji only nods and helps Gin to sit up so the pirate can watch as well.

“He’ll die,” Gin says.

“He won’t,” Zeff answers.

Gin doesn’t believe Zeff.

Sanji doesn’t care and watches the fight, seeing the determination he has sought for, it draws him in, like a red string of fate he knows he has to follow. He cannot stay at the restaurant knowing this. He looks up at Zeff and smiles at him, the older man smiles back happily.

Then, Luffy falls into the sea, and Sanji has to save him. He hasn’t gone swimming in a long time, but he knows he can do it, even though his body is heavy and the water will drag him down. He knows he can save the kid. So he does, untangles him from the net, drags him up the deck and kicks him in the gut to make him vomit up all the water.

Luffy grins at him afterwards, looking all happy and smiles.

Don Krieg has been defeated.

“I’m gonna join you,” Sanji says to Luffy in that quiet moment.

Luffy grins even broader, but it doesn’t last as Krieg’s ship splits in two, literally. Sanji watches in fascination as a man comes sailing up to them in a coffin, a broad sword on his back, completely black. But the thing that fascinates him the most, is the bloodlust he can feel rolling off Zoro as he comes to stand by them with a mad grin on his face.

“He’s here,” Zoro says.

“Who?” Sanji asks.

“Hawkeye.”


	6. Don't Die For Your Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, sorry, but I still have tests. Next up will be some Arlong Park bullshit. I wonder how Sanji will react to Arlong's treatment of Nami, he's not really a ladies man now, is he?

“Don’t throw away your life, you idiot!” Sanji shouts.

He doesn’t know why he does it, or why he feels what he feels as he sees Zoro be cut in half diagonally. It stings him in his core and he chokes on nothing but air. Zoro’s friends instantly take to the water to rescue their fallen friend and Luffy screams bloody murder at Mihawk, only to have the sword master stop him in his tracks.

“Your friend is not dead,” Hawkeye says. “He will do well to learn from this experience. If he faces me again, I will not be so merciful, but I expect him to be stronger,” he says. Then he looks at Luffy. “You have a dream, too?” he asks.

Luffy nods. “Pirate King,” he says simply.

Mihawk nods. “Even harder than his, but a good dream nonetheless.”

Then his eyes fall on Sanji and it’s as if he can see right through him to his innards and discover what he really is. The man smiles with his eyes, minutely, and then turns away. Sanji knows that look, he knows that Mihawk now knows what he is. Strangely, it bothers him more than anything else right now.

Sanji watches as Zoro’s bounty hunter friends pull him back on board and Usopp instantly has a basket with medical supplies. Sanji knows they won’t be enough. He jumps into action. He jumps ship and lands on their little vessel, rocking it before it steadies and he drops next to Usopp who shrieks.

“Get out of the way,” Sanji says, only to startle back as Zoro lifts his sword and talks so loud Luffy and Mihawk can both hear it.

“I’ll never lose again! Is that okay? Pirate King?” Zoro shouts and his arm trembles.

Sanji looks up to see Luffy nod and Mihawk’s grin is barely there. Then the shady bastard up and leaves everything behind in his even shadier boat. Sanji then looks back down at Zoro, who has passed out, and Usopp who is trying to stick a thread through a needle. Sanji snatches it from him and places the thread in his mouth, then through the needle.

“Hold this,” he instructs Usopp.

As Usopp holds the needle Sanji fumbles for his lighter and snaps it on, snatching the needle back and heating it up.

“Hold him still, all of you,” he says to the three men watching him.

Usopp quickly goes to hold Zoro’s head and placed a leather strap between his teeth. Yosaku takes Zoro’s legs and Johnny his torso for as far as he can. Sanji stops heating the needle and sticks it mercilessly into Zoro’s chest. The swordsman groans, thrashes from side to side as Sanji stitches him up best he can. It looks like crap, they need to find a better doctor, but for now the moron won’t die.

“Bandage him and have him drink something, then make sure he rests or else I’ll kick in his head personally,” Sanji instructs the bounty hunters.

Usopp nods along and goes to find bandages while Yosaku speeds off to find water and Johnny poses as a pillow for Zoro’s head. There’s sweat standing out on the marimo’s forehead and Sanji sees a droplet slide down his temple to fall to the floor. Something in his gears shift, he doesn’t know what, but he knows it changes things. He wipes the sweat away with his jacket sleeve, not caring that it would stain the material. Zoro moans a little, but doesn’t so much as twitch.

Luffy joins them in the boat not much later and Zeff comes to watch them as well.

“You’re going with them?” he asks.

Sanji nods wordlessly. “I have to,” he says. “They are now what drives me, I think,” he adds.

Zeff grins. “Don’t catch cold, eggplant, and don’t fuck up your cooking,” he says.

Sanji nods and smiles. “Thanks old man, I’ll get my things,” he says in return.

Zeff nods and as Sanji comes back onto the deck, gives him a brief hug, strong and warm. Sanji feels like crying, but he never has, so he won’t.

“Be safe out there,” the old cook says.

“I will,” Sanji replies, says goodbye to the other cooks, gathers his things and bids farewell to the Baratie for what might be forever.

**o-o-o**

Luffy seems to be ecstatic that Sanji has decided to go with them. Sanji cooks for them on the way and spoon feeds Zoro once he regains consciousness, even though the moss man says he’ll kill Sanji for doing so.

It’s not long before they reach the next island, then, and Sanji let’s Luffy go off while he takes care of Zoro and Usopp. They float along two fish-man and Sanji frowns at them, glaring. The fish-man gulp and carefully take a few steps back. Sanji doesn’t trust them one bit.

“Luffy,” he says.

His captain is looking at the island with stars in his eyes, absolutely amazed. “Yeah?” he blurts.

“Wanna catch two walking fishes?” Sanji says, loud enough for the fish-man to hear and he grins as he says so.

Their skin colors go paler and they turn tail to run away. Luffy grins as well and slingshots himself at the island, slamming into the fish-man and knocking them unconscious.

“There’s something off about them,” Zoro murmurs from behind him, gripping his chest in pain.

Sanji nods. “Yeah, Usopp, we need to get to shore.”

Usopp agrees and anchors the ship, letting Sanji and Zoro get off, even though Sanji wants Zoro to stay on board. He could just push the man back onto the ship, but he doesn’t want to risk injuring the man further. He can’t always control his freakishly strong body and it irks him.

“Nami’s gotta be here, somewhere,” Luffy says as he comes back to them, leaving the fish-man on the floor.

“Yeah, I can sense her. But we should be care… full,” Sanji says, and then realizes he is alone.

“For fucks sake,” he grumbles and goes after his crewmate and captain.

Sanji wonders if they have brains, then thinks better off it and cursed them some more. He can’t help the smile that graces his face, not even if he tried.


End file.
